Hydraulic elevator construction



May 11 1943.

A. W. GROTE HDRAULIC ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTION Fil d Jan. 12, 1942 5 al &15a

3maentor Gttorneg5- Patented May 11, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICEHYDRAULIC ELEVA'IOR CONSTRUCTION Alfred W. Grote, Freeport, Maine,assignor to The Portland Company, Portland, Maine, a corporation ofMaine Application January 12, 1942, Seria1Noi 426,428

6 Claims.

My present inventon relates to novel hydraulic elevator construction andhas, for one of its principal objects, the provision of suitablestructures that may be installed without the necessty of sinking plungercylinders in the ground.

The expense of sinking plunger cylinders is an important factor thatvaries with each installation although such expense may generally beanticipated by conventional tests. Frequently, however, because ofquieksand or the lke or because of existing structural limitations, thesnking of the plunger cylinders is either impossible or undesirable.

In accordance with my invention, I provide an elevator that consists ofa plurality of plunger and cylinder assemblies each adapted to providethe desired elevator rise. T avoid the expense of sinking the cylindersin the ground, the cy1- inders are dsposed in the assembly with theirupper ends extending above the lower station a distance depending onsuch factors as their length, the relation of the stations to eachother,

and the manner in which the cylinders are supported. I connect the carto the upper ends of the plungers to support it at the lower stationwhen the plungers are in their retracted position. The plunger andcylinder assemblies are disposed relative to each other to eiect adesired distribution of the weight of the car and its load relativethereto.

My invention has the advantage that While permitting the use ofrelatively small and inexpensive plunger and cylinder assemblies, itprovides safe and efiicient elevator constructions adaptable forinstallation under a wide range of conditions and at a substantiallyconstant expense.

While I may employ any number of plunger and cylinder assemblies andprovide any desired means for connecting the elevator car to the ends ofthe plungers, I have shown in the accompanying drawing an illustratedembodiment of my invention trom which its essential characteristics andits novel features and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an elevator installation in accordance withmy nvention.

Fig. 2 shows the installation of Fig. 1 in side view as seen from line2-2 and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing certain details of a car andthe structure for supporting it in a depending position relative to theplungers.

At I, I have indicated a well way having a suitable base or foundation 2and typical stations 3 and 4. Th well way structure supports guide rails5 located midway of its sides Buffer springs S are seated on the base 2.

In order to support the car C, I provide a plurality of cylinders 6 forthe plungers 1, each adapted to provide the desired elevator rise. Whilethe cylinders 6 may be supported on the base 2 and withn the well way I,I have shown them as mounted on separate bases 8 exteriorly thereof. Thecylinders 6 and the plungers are positioned relative to each other toeffect thedesireol distribution of the weight of the car C and its loadrelative thereto and where, as in the embodiment of my invention shownin "the drawng, the plunger and cylinder assemblies are employed, theseare mounted adjacent each side of the well way 1 and preferably onopposite sides of a center line defined by the guicle rails 5.

As my invention avoids the necessity of sinking the cylinders 6 in theground, their upper ends extend a substantial distance above the lowerstation 3.

T0 support the car C, I provide means connected. to the ends of theplungers adapted to support the car C at the lower station 3 when theplungers 1 are in their retracted position. While the means employedvaries with; the number of plunger and cylinder assemblies employed,their disposition relative to the car C and the construction of eachcar, as shown in the drawing, I may rigidly interconnect the ends of theplungers 1 as by an I beam 9 extending diagonally under and rigdlyattached as at 10 to the top cross head H. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3,the cross head II may consist of a pair of oppositely disposed channelmembers 12 connected through gusset plates 13 to stiles I4. The stilesI4 are interconnected at their lower ends by the bottom cross head l5comprising a pair of oppositely disposed channels 16. The cross heads IIand I5 carry guide shoes I'l and I 8 respectively.

As the car C may be of any desired type, I have not descrbed it indetail, but it will be noted that the stiles |4 are midway of its sidesso that the weight of the car C is centered with respect to the stiles|4 and accordingly to the guicle rails 5. At |9, I have indcated bracingstraps interconnecting the sills 20 of the car C and the stiles I4. Bythis construction, I ensure that the car C is both centrally guided andrigidly supported and it will be appreciated that the diagonalrelatonship of the beam 9 to the cross head II depends on the relationof the plunger and. cylinder assemblies to the guide rails 5. Where theguide rails 5 and the plunger and.

cylinder assemblies are substanaally in transverse alinement, the crosshead H may obviously be directly connected to the plungers 1 and. in

some installatons, the cross head |I may be omitted and the stiles |4connected to adjacent plunger or plungers.

Any desired means may be employed for delivering fluid under pressure tothe cylinder 6 to raise the car C or for controlling the escape of fluidtherefrom. Accordingly, I have not shown such means in detail nor have Ishown the control system. It is, however, essential to provide for theequalization of pressures in the cylinders 6 to equalize the travel ofthe plungers 1. I effect ths result by providing the delivery andexhaust conduit 2l with branch condults 22 connected to the cylinders 6.The branch conduits 22 are of the same length thereby ensuring theequalization of the pressure of the fiuid delivered to the cylnders 6.

In accordance wth my invention, I am able to' provide efiicent elevatorstruotures that may be easily installed snce the foundations for thecylinders may be established where convenient making the rnanyadvantages of hydraulic well way structure and defining a center line ofcar support, a oylinder laterally of each side of said car, saidcylinclers being on opposite sides of said center line and being mountedwith substantially their entire length disposed above the level of thebottom station, a plunger in each cylinder, said cylinders and saidplungers being of suflicient length to permit said car to be raised fromits bottom station te its top station, means to support said car, saidmeans including a pair of stiles connected to said car midway of itssicles and gude shoes carried by said stiles in engagement with saidrails, and means rigidly connecting said car supporting means to theends of said plungers.

2. An elevator assembly for supporting an elevator car in its well wayto serve a plurality of stations, said assembly comprsing a pair oftransversely alined guide rails supported by the well way structure anddefining a center line of car support, a cylinder laterally of each sideof said car, said cylinders being on opposite sldes of said center lineand. being mounted with sub stantially ther entire length disposed abovethe level of the bottom station, a plunger in each cylinder, saidcylnders and said plungers being of sufiicieint length to permit saidcar to be raised from its bottom station to its top station, meanssupporting said car in a balanced position, said means comprising a pairof stiles, top and bottom cross heads interconnecting said stiles, and.guide shoes carried by said stiles in engagement with said rails, and. abeam rigidly interconnecting the ends of said plungers and beingdisposed diagonally under said top cross head and attached thereto.

3. The assemloly of claim 2 in which a guicle shoe is provided adjacentthe top and bottom of each stile.

4. The assembly of claim 2 in which the top cross head comprisesoppositely disposecl channel members, the beam is an I beam and mutuallycontacting portions of adjacent flanges of the beam and the channelmembers are interconnected.

5. In an elevator assembly for supporting an elevator car in its wellway to serve a plurality of stations, a pair of guide rails supported onopposite sides of said well way, a cylinder laterally of each sicle ofsaid car and each beng mounted With substantially its entire lengthdisposed above the level of the bottom station, a plunger in eachcylinder, said cylinders and said plungers being of sufi'icient lengthto permit said car to be raisecl rom its bottom station to the upperstation, supporting means connected to said plungers and to said car,guide shoes carried by said car in engagement with said rails, saidcasings and said guide rails being so disposed that a line between saidcasings ntersects a line between said guide rails.

6. The elevator assembly of claim 5 in which the guide rails define acenter line of car support and the cylinders are located on oppositesides of the center line.

ALFRED W. GROTE.

